A Shrouded Titan
by SoulEater994
Summary: After a final battle with his sister, White shroud holds hope in his mind that he will return home after so long being trapped. He instead finds himself far from home. An entire universe away from home. He is thrown into a world of Titans and must now fight along side the five super powered teenagers to uncover a way to get back to his home universe.
1. A Final Battle of new Beginnings

"I invoke Ath nGabla! I shall crush you where you stand… Worthless Ant!"

A white haired woman sneered down at a single figure ignoring all other people present.

The woman stood atop a large metallic platform and in the center stood a tall glass tube that contained what the group stood before the woman had already risked so much to get to.

The sentient orb known as Shattered Souls.

An artifact with the power to steal an entire individual's existence and place it within its own world known only as "The Shattered Place" a dimension that exists between the different universes that make up the entire Omniverse. One could even compare The Shattered Place to the void.

"**Concern: Mistress Ivory, if you invoke Ath nGabla you will no longer be able to retreat…" **a deep monotonous voice resonated seemingly from everywhere in the darkened room. Everyone knew of it's true source though.

The orb.

A tall and tanned man shook his head. Cloth that looked like bandages covered each arm and an onyx coloured sleeveless shirt with golden trimmings clung to his body shape tightly. Short white hair similar to that of the woman before him accompanied gleaming golden eyes and a frowning mouth etched into a toned jaw.

He bore an insignia on his abdomen that confirmed what he was; a Nelaphim Knight, a defender of peace and vanquisher of evil.

Back in his homeland he was the hero known as White Shroud.

But in the Shattered Place he was just another soul trying to survive.

"So, it's come down to this… a fight to the death between two siblings? If this is what it takes to restore the Silicasveil name then so be it. I'll hold nothing back, dear old sister" his voice was low and calm despite the venom behind his words.

The warrior assumed a fighting stance, placing his right foot forward and his left back. His right hand clenched into a fist and he held it at arms length. His left hand was open straight and lowered slightly, bent into a position ready to strike. This was his own fighting style he had trained countless years to perfect. The right arm was strong and offensive, his left was quick and used to counter attack.

As he assumed his favored stance, the cloth wrapped around his arms unraveled itself to become one long ribbon of the purest white. Runes began to gleam into existence along the length of his shroud. The elegance of it was a spectacle in itself. It also struck fear into the hearts of its foes. It was a truly tragic mixture.

This was what gave White Shroud his name. His weapon and extension of himself Breithiúnas a Shroud that was weaved by the master enchantresses of the High Court back in his homeland.

The shroud held the power to cause great disasters and mass destruction. No one would ever imagine the true extent of what Breithiúnas was capable of.

No one could ever comprehend what it was capable of.

Ath nGabla was the curse of the duelist, once cast, the target and caster are no longer able to retreat and both must fight until one is left standing.

White Shroud knew full well this is what Ath nGabla meant...

And he was ready for it.

Everything he fought for in the Shattered Place all came down to this point, this was the end.

Or so he thought.

"Breithiúnas, please, lend me your strength."

He asked of his weapon and within its very existence he felt it agree. He was ready to fight until the bitter end and if he was to go down swinging, he wouldn't have it any other way than to go down with his weapon at his side

The fight began with a flourish of movement. The woman was a ruthless fighter and threw punches and kicks in an endless hail of force. White Shroud blocked and dodged all he could but a few blows managed to hit him hard.

Ivory's face never lost it's crazed smile as she mercilessly and ruthlessly attacked him. Her attacks were savage, almost primal and unpredictable. It wasn't a disciplined technique at all, she just wanted him dead as fast as possible.

The hail of blows stopped as he was sent skidding across the metallic floor. The tanned man charged forward as soon as he stopped and returned her ruthless attack with interest and a lot more finesse.

Even as he pressed on with his attack, the twisted smile still remained on his sister's face. It disgusted him but he restrained himself from showing it to her, keeping his face flat and completely devoid of any and all emotion.

Something he was trained to do since his first days at the Eucliwood Academy.

Breithiúnas caught hold of the woman's leg and tossed her into the air. Jumping up to meet his opponent, White Shroud brought his clenched fist down like a hammer and sent her into the ground with the force of a freight train.

He landed and stood over her. He had no time to think, it was time to finish her.

Raising his right arm, Breithiúnas wrapped itself around it from his fingertips to his shoulder.

He clenched his fist and shimmering light resembling sparks of electricity danced viciously around his arm.

Letting out a booming yell he brought his fist down on top of the woman that lay beneath him. Blood erupted from her mouth and her body fell limp.

"Is it over?" he asked himself panting heavily. No response came to him from his sister.

Until...

"Cursed Boundary Layer…" she suddenly muttered. Without warning she seemed to melt into the ground into shadows. She soon reappeared ten feet away from him rising up from the ground. Shadowy tendrils twisted and twirled around her and her body seemed to cast a dark aura. All injuries she sustained from White Shroud's attack had vanished completely. He clicked his tongue and unraveled Breithiúnas from his arm.

He would have expected as much from his sister. Cursed Boundary Layer was a curse that allowed the caster to use the shadows to move around whilst healing injuries. In return large amounts of Magical Energy is consumed, but that factor was nullified by being in the very presence of the Shattered Souls. The orb empowered Ivory with godlike amounts of energy.

The tendrils sprang forward and grabbed each of White Shrouds limbs not giving him time to react. They dragged him to the floor and restrained him. He couldn't move. His shroud struggled to be freed from the dark tendrils binding them to the floor but it was no use.

Ivory lifted White Shroud's chin up with the toe of her boot and gave him a wicked glare filled with spite and disgust.

To her, the man in front of her was a mere insect that needed to be squished. Why should she use her full power on an insignificant insect?

"Any last words before I consume you, pathetic little ant?"

_The last mistake she will ever make_. He thought to himself

"An lámh an Breithiúnas, a shábháil mo anam as an dorchadas!" he whispered in the old tongue, his hushed voice resonating with pure power. Breithiúnas shone a brilliant golden light and Sowilo, the Rune of Fire, sprang to burning life deep within the cloth of the shroud.

Mystical fire blazed across the tendrils and Ivory screamed in agony. The Cursed Boundary Layer was a part of Ivory. The tendrils were a manifestation of her Dark Energy.

Magics cast using Dark Energy were known as curses and they were largely favored by people known as Ceann Dorcha or Dark One

White Shroud acted upon the opening instantly. "Gan staonadh d'fhéadfadh na déithe, a thabhairt ar mo naimhde síos!" another resonating yell in the old tongue and Tiwaz, the Rune of God, shone to life with blinding golden light.

Breithiúnas struck at Ivory with powerful swipes and energy overflowed from the shroud. Torrents of Magical Energy overwhelming Ivory and she was forced to back into a wall.

The Cursed Boundary Layer was still in effect but it was weakened by Sowilo's cleansing flame. He had to finish this quickly before she recovered.

Breithiúnas coiled itself around his arm and he lept forward infusing both Sowilo and Ehwaz, Rune of Hardening, into his weapon. The final effect was a searing blow powerful enough to crush a human skull with a single punch. His fist blazed with the cleansing fire of the rune and he felt the attack make contact. But something felt off.

He looked up to find he only made contact with the cold metal of the wall. He cursed quietly under his breath.

Tendrils shot from the wall and grabbed him by the stomach. A pool of gloopy darkness formed on the wall and the tendrils attempted to pull him in. He tried to resist and pull himself free from the cold grasp of the dark tendrils but they were overpowering him. He could feel himself being taken into the darkness.

Ivory's face emerged from the black pool as though she was rising out of water. Her expression took on a demonic wickedness and her once golden eyes were now a solid black. White Shroud was looking directly into the face of madness.

And that madness was looking directly back at him…

And it was hungry.

Reacting on instinct alone, he launched a powerful headbutt and it connected right on the bridge of her nose. She howled in agony and temporarily let him go. The opening he had been waiting for.

He grabbed a hold of Ivory by her hair and pulled her out of the very darkness she was hiding in and threw her down.

Once again Breithiúnas coiled itself around his arm. Focusing his energy into one rune specifically, Ehwaz, he brought his fist down with tremendous force. This time he made sure the attack landed where he aimed...

The head.

The fight was over.

He was victorious.

There was only a bloody mess where her head used to be… there was no getting up from that.

The fight had lasted just under five minutes.

"Countless months of pain and suffering all for five simple minutes?" he panted, out of breath from the massive expenditure of Magical Energy

It just proved that without her champion, Absolution, she was just a power crazed woman with no bite to her bark. Of course, Absolution was still alive and kicking but he was being kept busy with other matters.

"**Seeking Attention: Master Ivory is no longer among the living. I have no reason to keep anyone here any more. Action: Preparing the World Shifting ritual on a mass scale"**

Was this truly the ending? Were they about to be set free? After so long fighting against impossible odds it was over… in the space of five simple minutes.

"Why do I feel like all the anguish and pain was so insignificant?" White Shroud could barely comprehend it but this was truly the end. The final conflict was won and all traces of Ath nGabla left White Shrouds body.

"**With Grief: Executing ritual now"**

Slowly White Shroud's vision began to grow blurry and faint blue light shone from the orb floating in it's tube. Finally, after everything he and his friends had endured he was about to be reunited with his homeland soil. He felt a mixture of happiness, confusion and even a little bit of grief.

He had just killed his only sister in cold blood.

"She forced this upon herself with the Ath nGabla…" he tried to reason with himself but he couldn't shake the grief growing inside.

A boy, no older than seventeen, ran up to White Shroud's side and planted a hand on his shoulder. He sported a uniform from a school he called Kasukabe Prefecture High School. Not being from the boy's universe White Shroud could only assume it was a prestigious institute for the gifted with having it's own uniform.

"You did it… we won! I can't believe it!" the boy said joyfully.

"Kazuya, be respectful! By the Eternal Flame, he just had to kill his sister!" A young irritated voice came from behind him. Then the all too familiar purple hair made it's appearance.

Solace Fateburn. A fellow Nelaphim Knight.

"It's fine… I was prepared for this. Shouldn't you two be saying your goodbyes? We'll be going back to our own homes soon enough."

Realizing this they both began what could only be described as the most awkward conversation White Shroud had ever had the misfortune of witnessing. Not wanting to interrupt them he got up from where his sister lay and walked over to the glass tube in the middle of the room.

"You're just going to let us go… just like that?" he asked the orb.

"**Answering: I, personally, have no use for the millions of souls Master Ivory has forced me to steal. Explanation: Master Ivory used those countless stolen souls only to give herself more power and to power the Seekers."**

"So what will you do now?"

"**With exasperation: I simply wish to be left alone to exist. I require no more than the luxury of sentience. Extension: You may return to your home universe with your existence restored."**

The monotonous voice was unsettling but White Shroud shook that feeling off as soon as the orb burst with blinding blue light. The World Shifting ritual was complete and he felt himself rise from the ground. A faint smile found it's way onto his face as he was engulfed into the blue light.

As he floated in the light he couldn't help but wonder how his homeland had changed. Did it still play host to the Salamander immigrants from the Ignis Islands? Did his favorite pub still serve his favorite Fire Spiced Ale?

Questions he hoped he would have the answers to soon.

Then he felt himself slip into the oblivion of unconsciousness.

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.

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He felt weightless.

Wind rushed through his white hair and his skin felt like it was being pulled.

He was falling.

He slowly opened his eyes and then the full realization kicked in. The ground was getting closer at an alarming rate but his trained eye couldn't help but take in the environment. It was an unfamiliar city with tall buildings and an ocean to the west.

This didn't look like any city he was familiar with.

He used Breithiúnas to brace for impact and landed in the middle of a populated street forming a small crater in the middle of the road. Strange machines on wheels came skidding to a stop at the edge of his crater and people quickly got out of them to look or run away.

"That could have gone a little better… but where am I?" he struggled to his feet and began to climb his way out of the crater to find the once heavily populated street was now deserted. People who were peering down into the crater had now vanished as if they had just remembered something very important they were late for.

"What the hell is happening here?" he asked himself, then came a response he wasn't expecting.

"What's happening is that we're about to take you down to the ground!" a young yet authoritative voice called out from behind him. White Shroud's vastly tuned senses pinpointed the voice's location at about a hundred meters directly behind him.

Mistake number one; alerting your opponent to your presence.

"This obviously isn't Airelong…" he said to himself. In his mind he ran through scenarios of fighting this person. He wasn't in the right frame of mind to fight anyone. He needed rest and could feel the heaviness in his limbs grow all the more prominent.

The fall took it out of him too. His back ached and his left arm felt like it had been hit with a sledgehammer.

It was no matter though, this person obviously saw him as a threat that needed to be eradicated. White Shroud's only option was to defend himself.

"Star, take him from the air. B.B, Cy, take him head on. Raven and I will provide support. Titans, GO!"

Mistake number two; making your opponent aware of your plan.

Breithiúnas sprang to life and so did he. There was no time to take in his surroundings. He had to rely on his skills to get him through this.

The very first thing he noticed was the giant green lizard with two muscular hind legs and two small and barely usable front legs charging straight for him. The ground rumbled with each resounding step.

The lizard was accompanied by what looked like a dark skinned man wearing white and blue body armor. A determined look imprinted onto his face.

Overhead he heard a whooshing noise as he looked up he saw a girl… flying… directly towards him. Her eyes glowed with emerald light and a ball of green energy sat in the palm of her hand ready to be fired.

A frontal assault supported by aerial attacks and whatever the two that hung back had to throw at him. He needed to neutralize them all as soon as possible and try to explain to them what his situation was.

His mind raced and his instincts told him to take out the big one first. Setting off into a sprint at the giant green lizard he took the sheer size of it into consideration.

The bigger they were, the harder they fell.

He quickly slid under it's belly, barely missing the giant's mouth crashing into the ground attempting to bite him. Thinking quickly he grabbed the lizard's tail and jumped into the air, forcing the lizard to topple forward. It let out a deafening roar and suddenly the most unexpected thing happened.

The lizard transformed into a green skinned human with pointy ears similar to Elven ears and sharp fang-like teeth. The boy shook his head frantically and without warning transformed into a green feathered bird unfamiliar to White Shroud and flew away.

"Beast Boy!" the armored man yelled and as soon as White Shroud landed on the ground he was thrown into a fist fight with the muscular man. His fighting style was brutal and no bars were held in his punches.

The other worldly warrior had faced countless fighters like this before. They were powerhouse types mostly dependent on laying as much damage as they could as fast as they could. All White Shroud had to do was dodge and block each punch and kick.

Which he did with ease. The man's size meant he was slow but still very formidable.

"Enough of this, eat sonic blaster!" the armored man yelled and his right arm changed as if it were mechanical into something that resembled a cannon. The barrel began to glow with blue energy.

A charge based weapon.

White Shroud charged forward in an attempt to interrupt the charge before the cannon was ready to fire. With his left arm he knocked the blaster off course as it fired a blinding light blue beam of intense energy as Breithiúnas quickly coiled itself around his right arm. Focusing his energy into Breithiúnas he activated Ehwaz, the Rune of Hardening, and smashed his fist into the armored man's chest, managing to damage the armor to reveal circuit boards and other machinery.

The man was subsequently sent soaring into the nearest building.

The stray beam of energy made its way to the opposite side of the street and carved a large chunk out of a tall office building. If Shroud had been caught in that, he would have been obliterated!

What was a teenager doing with that kind of…

"Star, take him out, Raven and I'll assist!" the authoritative voice ordered and derailed Shroud's current train of thought.

The girl flying in the air moved in for a bombing run styled trajectory. She threw a barrage of green energy bolts that exploded on impact with the ground but White Shroud managed to evade every single one of them.

Suddenly a steel capped boot made contact with his jaw. The kick sent him to the ground with force but he recovered quickly.

The boot belonged to a young boy that appeared to be roughly seventeen years of age, but White Shroud couldn't be sure because of the mask over the boy's eyes. He wore green pants and a green undershirt with what seemed to be an armored red over-shirt with a yellow "R" in a black circle over his left pectoral muscle. A short black cape with yellow underlining hung from his shoulders.

His stance was ready for a fight.

Noticing the short lull in the battle, The shrouded knight decided that this was as good a time as any for an attempt at negotiating, speaking from personal experience, this was usually the point when he would approach the individual giving him trouble and attempting to force a surrender.

Too bad for the spandex wearing teen that the man he was facing was old enough to be his grandfather, along with all the fighting experience to boot.

Still, he didn't particularly _want_ to fight: if he did, they all would be dead by now.

"Look, I did not crash land here just so I could fight with what appears to be the only kind of law enforcement around! Can you please explain to me where the hell I am?" This seemed to throw the boy off somewhat as his right eyebrow rose in curiosity.

"You're in Jump City - our city - we don't like it when people disrupt the peace we try so hard to uphold." the boy stood firm and was eager to start a fight. Jump City? The name was foreign in White Shroud's mind. So much uncertainty in the space of ten minutes.

So he was right. These people were protectors of this city. He needed to pacify them and fast.

"I'm not a threat to you or your city, if you stand down now no blood shall be shed." Breithiúnas danced and coiled itself around White Shroud's body as if it was showing off its elegance to its foes. An act it usually took when Shroud himself was trying to be assertive.

"...And how can we trust you?" The teen queried after a few seconds of silence. This was good, very good; At least he's willing to listen.

"I assure you, hero, I do not want to fight you. Stand down now, I will pose you no threat. My current situation is rather difficult and I'm still trying to process it." the white haired man assumed a neutral pose but still stood his ground.

The key to any sort of stand off was to keep your composure and stand your ground. Eye contact was a major player at this stage. The mask covering the teens eyes made that extremely difficult.

"My name is White Shroud, I am a servant of the High Court and proud member of the Nelaphim Knights. I hail from the great land of Airelong."

The standoff lasted a while longer and they stared into each others eyes neither one willing to back down.

Of course Shroud was aware of the three teenagers moving in for an attack but they were unimportant right now. All he could do was stand his ground against the masked boy.

This was a battle all on its own, one that Shroud was used to fighting. Back in the Shattered Place he used to get into fights like this all the time with Solace. She was a headstrong girl and not easily swayed.

Agonizing minutes passed and Shroud did all he could to put forward his determination hoping that the teenager in front of him would see reason. If he didn't and pushed for an attack, there was no other choice but to neutralize them.

Then the boy relaxed. He called off his team and a look of understanding filled his face. "Fine… you win…" he said in a defeated tone. "But why are you here?"

"That is the same question that I am asking myself. The truth is, I have no idea why I was thrown into this world and why I've found myself in a fight against five teenagers!"

At least he saw reason before things escalated again.

It meant his conscience would not be picking up another crack today.

"My name is Robin, leader of the Teen Titans"

The spandex wearing teen, now identified as Robin placed a hand on his hip as he remained focused on the shrouded knight. An iron stare still drilling into him.

"I propose we work together, perhaps I can be of some use to you and your team? My combat experience might prove valuable to you."

Robin's eyebrow perked up again.

"Are you asking to join us?"

"If you'll accept me. I know that trust isn't easily given but I ask of you to at least let me show you how useful my experience can be. Breithiúnas and I apologize for the hostilities. My instincts were to defend myself from your attacks."

The situation was almost defused.

"Put in your shoes, I guess I would have done the same thing… if you keep your word and promise not to become a liability… then I guess, welcome to the Teen Titans… um… White Shroud" Robin stepped forward and offered his hand. A small smile finding its way onto his face.

"I wouldn't exactly call myself a Teen, but I have sworn my word to you and I plan to uphold my oath" White Shroud took Robins hand and shook it.

Things had taken the turn for the weird. He had hoped to be reunited with Airelong but instead he was greeted by a team of highly dangerous teenagers in an unfamiliar city. The only reason he could think of was the World Shifting ritual.

Was this the Shattered Souls' doing? It was no matter now, he was here and for the foreseeable future he was stuck here.

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**Magical Codex Entry: Ceann Dorcha**

Ceann Dorcha means "Dark One" in the Tongue of the Ancients. It is a term given to a mage who uses Dark Energy in their spells. Dark Energy is a powerful force but comes at a price. Using it drains a person of their sanity. Once their sanity is completely drained they lose their Humanity and become abominations.

The Thaumaturge Squad within the Nelaphim Knights hunt down Ceann Dorcha and either exterminate them or incarcerate them. Abomination level Ceann Dorcha are exterminated on sight as they pose great threat to those around them.

An abomination is identified by sickly looking skin, solid black eyes and their incoherent screeching. An abomination no longer holds any remnants of who they once were. Once they reach this level, they're already dead.

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A/N: A Shrouded Titan was born from four days of sleep deprivation and White Shroud is a character from an original piece of my own creation. All terminology will be explained via Magical Codex Entries.

Thanks for reading! Review and post feedback


	2. To Become a Titan

"Well, this is strange. You have the body of a twenty five year old at the peak of physical fitness… but your biological age is well into the eighties. Either you're an extreme fitness nut… or you're a vampire" The robot man, now identified as Cyborg, explained looking at a holoscreen filled with medical information. White Shroud understood little of it.

The Titans had taken him to a strange building in the shape of a "T" that stood atop a small island just off the cost of the city. It overlooked the city and had an aura of protection surrounding it. White Shroud was sure the citizens saw it as a symbol of hope. Of course having a blatantly obvious HQ like this was not without its risks. It was open to attack at any moment.

Cyborg had reassured him that his security systems were the best in the world and nothing could get past them. Not even a fly. That didn't really put White Shroud's mind to rest but he let himself accept it nonetheless.

He was laid down on a medical bed with wires attached into his arms and forehead. They were performing a physical examination on him.

A Titan protocol according to Cyborg.

It involved running on a treadmill for as long as he could manage, perform as many pushups and situps as he could, lift a few weights and then a reaction test. This was the sort of exercise he performed before his morning meal. To him it was just part of a routine, to the Titans it sounded like a rigorous workout.

"Technically I am still twenty five, but no, I'm not a vampire, if I were then I would expect you to eradicate me here and now. Where I came to this world from, people cease to age. Their existence is frozen and they are forced to fight for their survival. That place isn't my true home but I was forced to call it so for a long sixty years."

Cyborg's eyebrow rose up in curiosity. "That sounds like hell… but… how is that possible? An entire existence can't be just… frozen." He began to type into a keyboard located at the bottom of the holoscreen as he spoke.

"My prison, the Shattered Place, is a dimension created by an entity known as Shattered Souls. The entity steals the very existence of an individual and erases them from their universe. If you were to go to my homeland now and ask who I was, the best answer you'd get is that it sounds familiar. It's extremely powerful and complex magic that I don't really understand, it technically shouldn't even be possible but me being here is proof that it is possible…"

"Well I'll be damned… I really don't understand it."

"Think of it like being cryogenically frozen. The biology stays the same but the chronology does not. I'm still twenty five but my chronological age is eighty five."

"I see… So how did you get out?"

White Shroud tensed up and beeping noises came from the screen. Cyborg instantly realized his mistake. "Touchy subject? I get it, I won't ask again." he said and White Shroud calmed himself. The room fell silent for awhile until White Shroud spoke up.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For… well… breaking you?" he had no idea how to address the point of punching a hole into Cyborg's chest but he just wanted to get it over and done with.

"Oh, my chest. Don't worry about it, man. Nothing a few spare parts can't fix. You pack one hell of a punch… ohh! and that scarf of yours has gotten Raven all giddy. Not seen her like that since… well… ever."

White Shroud recalled that he - somewhat reluctantly - agreed to let the Raven girl examine Breithiúnas under the strict condition that she was not allowed to physically affect it. He never liked letting Breithiúnas leave his side but she was insistent and she genuinely seemed curious.

The moment he laid eyes on her he detected an extremely potent amount of Magical Energy within her… but there was something else residing deep inside her too. He couldn't quite grasp what it was but it was there and it was extremely familiar… it was also extremely dark. She intrigued him.

A certain female red-headed warrior he once knew in the Shattered Place sprang to the back of his mind for a split second but she slipped away before he could make a connection.

"You mentioned something about a thing called the Nelaphim Knights. What are they?" Cyborg asked, snapping the shrouded knight out of his thoughts.

"The Nelaphim Knights are the proud protectors of justice and guardians of Airelong. They are an elite military force of magical warriors each capable of great feats. We stop at nothing to uphold the peace in our country. Each and every Knight is sworn to the oath and is bounded to the servitude of the High Court."

White Shroud always found himself sounding fanatical when it came to talking about the Knights. He was, in some sense, fanatical but growing up expected to be the best he could possibly be made him passionate about what he stood for and if that made him fanatical then so be it.

Of course, the constant force feeding of ideals from his parents didn't help much either.

"That sounds similar to the Teen Titans… of course we don't really swear to an oath or anything. We're just a team of extraordinary teenagers trying to make a difference in Jump City. Now we have you on board… maybe we can."

These Titans were an optimistic bunch and White Shroud liked that. He could tell that the Titans had probably just recently formed. It was refreshing to see, but that only made it more prominent. The road of a hero is full of solitude, pain and sacrifice. Only torment and anguish waited for the five teenagers. He needed to make sure they were ready…

Or pull their asses out of the fire if they weren't.

"Well, your vitals are perfect, no physical strain to be worried about… you're the picture of health White Shroud." Cyborg unattached the wires from White Shroud's body and he got up off the bed to stretch.

"Thank you, I'm glad there's nothing wrong with me after a two hundred meter fall" that earned a chuckle from Cyborg

"Hey, I don't suppose you can teach me how to do what you did to me? Or is it only for the scarf?"

"It's name is Breithiúnas, and no, it isn't a technique unique to it. It's merely simple Rune magic," White Shroud thought for a second. "Runes require extreme amounts of concentration and precise control of Magical Energy. If you lose concentration for even a second the whole spell could simply explode within your very being. I've had the misfortune of seeing it happen, it is not a sight I wish to witness again"

Cyborg's dark skin grew pale and his human eye bulged. "Forget I asked…" he said. White Shroud laughed. He had gotten the same reaction from each and every person that asked him. The truth was Runes merely required understanding to utilize them. The incantations he used were to help him focus his energy into a Rune to unleash more powerful attacks.

A sort of self-hypnotism if one were to put it into layman's terms.

"Hey guys, look at me! I'm a ninja!" a mischievous voice called out from behind the two of them. Cyborg simply threw his metallic palm to his forehead. His face bore an irritated look to it. It must have been Beast Boy, the green shapeshifter.

The scrawny green boy danced around in front of them with Breithiúnas wrapped around his head in the style of a ninja mask…

Wait…

"Breithiúnas!" White Shroud yelled and without warning the shroud seemed to constrict around Beast Boy's head as if it was surprised. It then let go and unraveled itself to return to White Shroud, coiling itself around each of his arms.

"Aww… I was having fun with that…" Beast Boy said in a disheartened tone whilst his shoulders sagged. White Shroud's nostrils flared with anger.

"Breithiúnas is not a toy for you to play with, it is a powerful weapon capable of great destruction!" he boomed. He made himself as big as he could and loomed over the short green boy. Beast Boy shook in fear and sweat beads formed on his forehead. He then transformed into a small kitten and scurried off out of the door.

"He's an idiot, sorry about him." The raspy and level-headed voice from Raven bore a faint irritation to it. She stood in the doorway with her arms folded. "He just sprang up and took it from me whilst I was examining it…"

"It's fine, as long as he doesn't try it on again, did you get what you wanted from Breithiúnas?"

"Yes, thank you for allowing me to examine it. I've only seen something like this in books and old tomes." she said not changing the tone of her voice but the undertone had shifted to a more light hearted one. "And your understanding and control of Runes is impressive."

"Thank you, I've spent most of my life meditating to understand each rune and I haven't even scratched the surface. I doubt I'd have gotten this far without Breithiúnas's strength."

"I see…" she quietly said. Cyborg chuckled behind him.

"She likes you, Shroud, Raven is the Teen Titans resident sorceress!"

"I see…" White Shroud parroted the cloaked teen as he grew quiet. It's obviously her teammate's nicknaming, but the shrouded man noted that it was a fitting title, given the magical energy that she radiated.

Robin joined them in the room and he held something small and circular in his hand. He lifted it up and presented it to Shroud. It was a small circular device with a "T" on the center of it and a small aerial stuck out of the left hand side. It was obviously a communications device.

"I didn't have one with me back in the city, it's a T-Communicator, it serves as your badge of service. It'll allow you to keep in touch with the rest of the team and has a built-in GPS locator so we'll know where you are if you get into trouble. It'll also alert you if there's any trouble. When it beeps red, report to the lounge area and prepare for a mission."

"Understood, thank you for accepting me into your team, Sir" he accepted the communicator and saluted, purely out of habit. Robin scratched the back of his head.

"You can just call me Robin."

"Understood."

Robin moved quickly to change the subject obviously feeling awkward being treated like a military officer by someone old enough to be his grandfather.

"Alright, let's see what you're made of. I want you to run the assault course and then you'll spar with me. I need to get to grips with your fighting style so I can integrate it with our own."

An assault course followed by an all out sparring match? Simple and easy but still fun. He couldn't wait to show Robin what years of experience was worth.

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.

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Starfire was waiting for them outside towards the back of the tower. She floated above a giant white line with the words "START" printed below it. She waved happily as soon as she saw Robin round the corner. He waved back and started on a set of rocky steps that led to a small control station on the side of the rock face.

The metal platform had a console on it with a whole range of different buttons, dials and readings covering it. Robin pressed, turned and slid different buttons until he had a satisfied look on his face.

"Starfire is going to run the course to show you how it should be completed. Then you'll run it and try to beat her time," he turned to a microphone and spoke into it clearly "Star, I want you to run this course without flying, this doubles as a test for you too." The girl at the start line landed heavily as if she was disheartened from being forbidden to fly.

Robin pressed a button on the console in front of him and obstacles such as climbing walls, monkey bars and even turrets began to raise from the ground. The setup was impressive and it looked truly challenging. White Shroud instantly understood why Robin didn't want Starfire to fly. This was to test physical capability and speed.

"Ready?" Robin asked through the microphone which earned him a wave from Starfire as she assumed an eager stance. "Titan, GO!" he yelled and she instantly burst forth with immense speed. The first obstacle was simply a sprint down an open plane whilst being fired upon by the turrets. They shot beams of red energy in quick succession almost like a conventional machine gun.

Starfire seemed to have trouble dodging at first but then picked up momentum and managed the sprint in just under twenty seconds. The next obstacle was a climbing wall and Starfire leapt up onto it as high as she could and began dragging herself upwards as her fiery-red hair danced in the wind.

She managed to scale the wall with little difficulty and moved on to a set of monkey bars. She swung herself across them with a distinctive elegance although she almost lost her grip towards the end. She was making good time.

Next was another set of turrets, only this time there were more of them and it wasn't a simple sprint to the finish. She threw green balls of energy at the turrets causing them to short out and explode whilst dodging the rest. After a few more seconds the entire arsenal of turrets had been decimated.

Starfire passed over the finish line in one minute and twenty four seconds. Cyborg, Beast Boy and Robin clapped enthusiastically, Raven simply gave a small and satisfied smile.

"That was a great run Star, well done!" Robin congratulated and she started jumping for joy. After she finished celebrating she began to fly over towards them with a look of satisfaction on her face.

"Thank you, friends, that was most challenging and fun." To White Shroud's ears, the girl's speech pattern was an odd combination of broken, and formal. She seemed like the type of girl to speak with a high pitched cute voice without all the formal stuff. This was actually the first time he had heard her speak.

"All right new guy, your turn." Cyborg said urging him to make his way to the start line "Robin will do a course reset for you"

"Understood."

White Shroud made his way down the rocky steps to the starting line thinking to himself as he did so.

So this is how they train? A simple regime with satisfactory results, but assault courses and sparing alone couldn't prepare a person for reality.

People grew stronger through experience. It was a natural known fact.

Maybe he was wrong about the Titans, maybe they were fine and they were prepared.

Maybe.

Breithiúnas unraveled itself from his arms and the runes along its length sparked into life. The shroud's beauty and radiance was undeniable. It coiled and twisted around his body like a Wyvern flying through the air.

"Breithiúnas, please, lend me your strength"

He took his place on the line and focused his energy.

He grasped control of the Magical Energy within him and uttered an incantation in the Tongue of Ancients, "An luas Dia, d'fhéadfadh mo chosa a dhéanamh liom!" the ground around him shone slightly and Uruz, Rune of Endurance and Raidho, Rune of Journeys sprang into existence along the length of Breithiúnas.

The knight took a deep breath and concentrated. It was time to show off a mere fraction of his true potential.

"Titan, GO!" he heard the signal and he reacted instantly setting off at an inhuman sprint. The turrets barely even got a shot off before he zipped past them.

The wall drew close and he used Breithiúnas to launch himself majestically into the air and straight to the top of the wall without even touching any of the rungs.

The monkey bars posed no real problem either. He was used to traversing obstacles like this. Even in the Shattered Place he kept his physical prowess at peak condition by training constantly.

Last but not least was the destruction of the enemy turrets.

"Gan staonadh d'fhéadfadh na déithe, mo naimhde sruthán a fuinseog!" power leaked from his words and Sowilo combined with Thurisaz, Rune of Chaos and Destruction burst with energy. Fire erupted from the shroud's cloth and launched forward. The mystical fire empowered by Thurisaz decimated the turrets...

And a good portion of his immediate surroundings leaving scorch marks on the rocks surrounding the course.

Did he go overboard?

He crossed the finish line with forty two seconds on the clock.

The team looked speechless. Their jaws agape. Even Raven was visually surprised at the spectacle White Shroud had just presented them. A grin crawled over his face.

"Pity, I've witnessed other heroes perform feats such as this much faster… I lack training…" he murmured casually, dusting himself off as he did so.

"How did he do that!?" Beast Boy yelled in disbelief. "That… was insane, dude!"

"The fact of the matter is, young changeling, my abilities are vastly inferior to some of the individuals that I have met, and I have met many individuals of vast capabilities." The white haired man chuckled at the awe in the little green boy's eyes.

Shroud wasn't ashamed to admit it; he wasn't the most powerful thing in the omniverse. No matter how powerful you may be, there will always be someone with greater abilities than you. He used it as an incentive.

There maybe have been countless other individuals more capable than him but he made damn sure he was going to be the best he could possibly be.

"Dude… what the hell are you? Some sort of miracle worker?" Shroud sniggered at Beast Boy's attempt at comprehension

"No, that would be Weiss Krieger: The White Knight of Miracles. Wielder of Ensis Alba - The Blade of Miracle Creation." If Shroud focused enough, he could almost hear the mental crash currently happening in the shapeshifter's mind. He had to restrain himself from bursting into laughter. "I have had the honor of fighting along side the White Knight. He lives up to his name… and the various others he has earned over the course of his lengthy life."

The green boy gulped down a lump in his throat and stared at Shroud.

"H… how lengthy?"

"Five thousand years." he stated as though he was commenting on the weather. "Now, did someone mention a sparring match?" Shroud asked with the smirk quickly growing across his toned jaw and cracked his knuckles.

The resulting silence tipped Shroud over the edge and he couldn't help but burst into a full belly laughter.

The teenagers were starting to realize that they weren't the biggest fish in the metaphorical pond.

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.

.

"You spoke of miracle workers on the course, but here, in this sparring arena, none of that matters. You spoke highly of this White Knight, but I want to see what you can do. Show me what White Shroud can do. Let me taste, first hand, the power of a Nelaphim Knight." Robin stood firm at the opposite end of the large mat. A long, silver bo-staff in hand and ready to attack.

The room was designed in the style of an oriental training dojo with real tatami mats laid out on the floor. The rest of the titans were sat in another room watching them through a camera which was a small shame. Shroud wanted to see how they reacted to this match.

"If I showed you the true extent of my power, there wouldn't be a city left to protect…" the knight said darkly. Robin was unfazed by the remark. His solid stare fixated on Shroud. He could tell Robin was a completely different person when it came to battle, a good trait.

"I thought you gave me your word that you would not be a threat. Was I wrong to trust you?" his response was to be expected. Shroud knew Robin was still skeptical about him.

Shroud presented too many unknowns and he pegged Robin as someone who hated the uncertain. "If my goal was to destroy this city, do you think I would be here, sparring with you? I know that I am still an outsider to you but for our partnership to work, there must be some trust between us."

Without warning Robin lunged forward and struck with his weapon.

An excellent strike.

Shroud blocked the side swipe with his muscular forearm and threw a quick right-hook at Robin who subsequently backed away in order to avoid the hit.

"Show me that I can trust you with your fists." Robin said as they began to circle each other.

The remark was a direct challenge and Shroud took it as one but in one-v-one matches like this, it was often best to be the one to make a counter attack rather than charge in head on.

So, Shroud waited.

Robin charged once more and swung his staff down like a hammer. A powerful strike but only with a small area of effect and limited range. It was easily evaded by a simple side step but Robin wasn't a pushover, he changed his grip on the staff instantly and brought it up into Shroud's side.

The move threw him off balance and Robin took full advantage of it. Sweeping his leg around he managed to topple the knight over.

A maneuver of such complexity pulled off with flawless skill. Robin was the leader of the Titan's for a reason.

"Ah ha! Good movement! You fight like a true combatant!" Shroud complimented as he sprang back up. Robin almost seemed displeased at the sudden praise.

"I thought you better than this, it seems like you aren't even trying!" they began circling each other once more.

He was right, Shroud was simply gauging him at this point.

Perhaps it was time to take this seriously?

Breithiúnas sprang into glorious life and the runes, once more, transcribed themselves into brilliant existence along the shroud's pure white length. If Robin was in awe then he didn't show it. His cold stare remained on Shroud as they continued to face each other down.

This time it was Shroud to make the first movement. Closing the gap in a mere second he launched a powerful forward punch only to be blocked, but the shrouded knight had planned on this as Breithiúnas followed through and struck Robin in the stomach, temporarily winding him.

Shroud then forced his knee upwards into Robin's face, sending the boy onto his rear. Not giving the boy time to recover Breithiúnas coiled itself around Shroud's arm and glowed with energy. The energy was then released in the form of a heavily reinforced punch.

Robin barely managed to shift out of the way of the attack and scrambled to his feet. The shroud unwrapped itself once again as the shrouded knight charged the teen once again.

This time Robin was prepared, swinging his staff horizontally in an attempt to stop Shroud's advance. It was no use. Robin was forced to retreat once more by back flipping out of the way but as he did so he threw three small pellets down at the floor.

They erupted into thick smoke, effectively blinding the shrouded knight. White Shroud instinctively changed his methods of locating his opponent, forgoing his sight for hearing. Moments later his finely tuned hearing picked up his opponent scurry around him along with a faint clicking noise as the teen sounded like he was constantly changing direction. He was trying to disorientate him.

Having enough of the smoke and desiring to use his eyesight once again, Shroud used Breithiúnas to disperse it and then he realized what Robin had been doing. In full force.

Mines.

A lot of mines.

They were scattered all around the room and Robin himself stood ready at the other end, a threatening smile etched into his features. In Shroud's mind it was a waste of an opening. Now that Shroud knew of Robin's tactics the fight was almost certainly decided.

But this was not the time to get over confident.

But… Shroud could only assume these were not dummy mines but the real deal and could not afford to set one off. He was immobilised and Robin knew it.

Unlike many people he knew, Shroud knew when he was beat. He raised his arms into the air and bowed his head in defeat. "You win…" he simply stated and the smile on Robin's face turned smug.

The truth of the matter was, Shroud was holding himself back. He knew that if he were to get truly immersed in this fight then he ran the risk of letting a bit too much out than Robin, and the tower itself for that matter, could have endured.

Shroud could have easily set off the mines, transcribed Uruz to protect himself and then finish the job. But this was a friendly sparring match. Not a deathmatch and it was because of that singular fact that Shroud kept his power on secure lock-down.

For the safety of the five teenagers.

"Once I knew you were no pushover, I had to resort to something a bit… drastic" he gestured to the mines and Shroud laughed.

"A great tactic, but it was risky. Your thought process was; if I truly meant well then I would not risk blowing up half the tower in order to show you what I was made of. You fight like you've been in this game for years. I can tell you've had a past filled with battle just by the way you fight."

The smile on Robin's face instantly disappeared.

"You… could say that." He said flatly. It must have been a touchy subject, or at least not a subject he wished to share with someone he had only known for the best part of one and a half days.

Silence suddenly fell over the two of them and a distinct awkwardness set in. "Anyway, You should go rest. You remember where the spare rooms were don't you?" Robin suggested and clicked a button on his belt. All the beeping mines simultaneously stopped and the room was thrown into silence once more.

Shroud nodded once and turned to leave.

"You're a great fighter kiddo. Keep going the way you are and you'll turn out to be a great hero." He said over his shoulder as he made his way out of the room.

"I can't believe I lost… to Beast Boy!" Shroud suddenly heard Cyborg's distinct cry and down the hallway he saw the little green changeling burst out of the watch-room dancing in victory. He was holding a rectangular green piece of paper and it seemed to be the focus of his joy.

"Oh man! I never thought I'd see the day when the mighty Cyborg gave _me _money because he lost the bet! Naughty Cy, you should have more faith in your leader." Shroud could guess what had happened. "Thank you White Shroud, for making me twenty bucks richer!"

To Shroud, twenty, in his currency, wasn't even enough to buy a small snack from a stall, but he assumed, from Beast Boy's reaction to it, that it was quite a satisfactory sum of money here in Jump City.

"Thank you, White Shroud, for making me twenty bucks poorer… I thought you'd curb-stomp Robin after the spectacle you showed us on the assault course…" Cyborg said in a disheartened tone as he slouched out of the watch-room followed by Starfire and Raven.

"Well done Beast Boy, you managed to win something on a fifty-fifty chance. That's a true test of skill." Raven's flat speech pattern made her emotions hard to read but it was obvious that she was being sarcastic. The undertone of her voice was thick with it.

The green boy frowned and blew a raspberry at her. He then giggled mischievously. "This is going to the Buy BB a Moped Trust Fund!"

"No one will ever donate to that." Raven said as she shook her head.

Shroud looked on at the group from across the hallway and let slip a genuine smile. He was witnessing four teenagers hanging out and just being themselves. If he didn't know any better he'd just think they were a bunch of weirdly dressed kids without all the crazy superpowers.

He found himself thinking for a second. He wondered what the extent of Raven's power was. She was attuned to magic, that much was certain but he wondered what kind of magic she favored. He sincerely hoped she was not a Ceann Dorcha like his sister.

He would have to deal with her as soon as possible if that was the case.

As he was swept up in his own thoughts he suddenly realized he was staring… but she was staring straight back, her face devoid of emotion. She simply stood there and watched him watch her.

The unplanned staring match continued for a few more minutes until Robin planted his gloved hand onto Shroud's shoulder. "Rest, you never know when trouble might come our way. I'll be in the evidence room on the fourth floor if you need me." Robin smiled and set off for the elevators on the far side of the hallway.

Reflecting on everything that has happened up until this point, The shrouded knight came to the conclusion that he was pretty tired and fighting whilst fatigued was almost as bad as fighting whilst intoxicated. He figured he'd try to grab a few hours shut eye to catch up on his lost sleep over the last few days. In Jump City and in the Shattered Place.

The walk to the top floors of Titans Tower got Shroud thinking about his situation. The blood of his sister was still fresh on his hands, he was stuck in a universe entirely different from his own, he had managed to befriend five super powered teenagers and joined their team… his situation was nearing the deep end of FUBAR.

Why did this happen anyway? How come he was sent into this world and not anyone else from the Shattered Place? The Shattered Souls obviously put him here on purpose… was it to punish him for killing its creator? No, the thing wanted her dead… so was there another reason?

His thought's took a turn to something, or someone, more personal.

Elda'Nyrth.

The woman he'd give his life for. He was a hero well and true… but he was only human, he needed Elda to support him and she needed him for the same reason.

Elda's childhood was… less than desirable. She was a Warehouse Rat: an orphan who grew up in the vast warehouses of Onyx Peak Mountain, the base of operations of the illegal - yet untouchable - Onyx Market. Being a Salamander it only made it all the more worse for her when she was caught stealing from the supply. An unlucky individual forced to grow up far too quickly just to protect the other Warehouse Rat's under her care.

"White Shroud, could I have a word?" Raven's voice instantly snapped him out of his thoughts and he whipped around to see the cloaked Titan stare at him once more. He found himself standing outside one of the spare rooms that was for his use and he invited her in.

"What's on your mind?" he asked shutting the sliding door behind him. She turned to face him and her face remained the same neutral expression as she spoke.

"I wanted to know why you held back in that sparring match…"

"Oh…"

She picked up on that much did she?

This was going to be a long conversation…

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**Magical Codex Entry: Salamanders**

The Salamanders were once a huge part of Owl's Feather life. They originated from the Ignis Islands located south west of the Leope Sea. Because of the discovery of the metal "Ignis Fortis" the Islands entered an era of cultural and economical prosperity.

Salamanders can be identified by their long scaly tails and lizard-like ears. Some Salamanders attuned to Magical Energy can manifest dragon-like gauntlets. This helps them handle materials such as Liquid Flame and smelted Ignis Fortis without standard protective equipment.

The Salamanders themselves are generally a shy species as they are sometimes segregated from humans. Because the Salamanders are female dominant and males are very rare, females have taken to finding mates in the human species as well as their own. The usual reaction to meeting their mate is the tail-flame 'blazing up', which is a physical cue of bottled up tension. Nine times out of ten, this is sexual in nature.

After a shortage of Ignis Fortis supply the Salamanders entered an era of economical crisis so drastic it forced most of the inhabitants to emigrate to Airelong or the Barrenlands. Some Salamanders still remain residents of the Ignis Islands but now it is largely Rheinheim controlled.


End file.
